That Should Be Me
by BlackisnotEMO
Summary: I wrote this little songfic consisting of various oneshots as a tribute towards the beautiful friendship shared between Nami and Vivi. Definitely a NaVi fanfic, so be warned! This story contains spoilers from the Alabasta Arc. Enjoy and please review!


Hello! I have finally returned after my long absence from fanfiction, and I must say that I had became quite a huge fan of One Piece during that time period 8D

This is a songfic I put together consisting mainly of random flashbacks and oneshots that came to mind based on the beautiful friendship between Nami and Vivi throughout the series. As you can clearly see, _NaVi_ is my favourite pairing.

The song I used in this oneshot is _'That Should Be Me'_ by Justin Bieber. Now I've never really been a big fan of Bieber, but this idea came to me as soon as I heard the lyrics, so I thought '_meh, why not_.' I personally think that you should try listening to the song while reading this oneshot, but the choice is ultimately up to you.

I would also like to thank _**Shunatsu**_ for being my Betareader! YOU ARE AN AWESOME ONE PIECE BUDDY, THANKS! 8D

Enjoy, and please review! _Please_.

_Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece and That Should Be Me._

_Note_: I may have changed one or two words in the lyrics for my convenience. It's nothing major; for example, a change from 'his' to 'her' in one of the verses.

Another note, please pay attention to the _'flashback'_ parts in order not to confuse yourselves while reading.

-BlackisnotEMO

_**Everybody's laughing in my mind**_

Bright silver stars scattered randomly across the murky black sky like glitter on a never-ending canvas stretching beyond the horizon, lighting up the cold, inky darkness with a dim luminous glow. The vast ocean reflected the stars immethodically from the constant propagation of the waves, causing the sea to emanate a bright cheerful sparkle oblivious to the dangers that lurked within its pitch-black waters. The Grand Line was unexpectedly calm that night, its gentle waves lapping rhythmically against the Thousand Sunny in effort to push her towards the next destined island along the peculiar seas.

Loud undignified snores could be heard from within the boys' quarters on the ship as it sailed on smoothly, each of the Straw Hat pirates in deep slumber after their daily routine of tiring but explicitly fun exploits.

However, despite the calm weather that brewed over the sea that night, a certain crewmember felt terribly restless. The cheap springy mattress she was sleeping on groaned in protest as she tossed and turned in it for hours, quite unable to fall asleep. Feeling utterly defeated and morally drained, she stood up quietly to exit her quarters, taking extra precaution to avoid awakening Robin who was sleeping soundly on the bed next to hers.

The young navigator flinched slightly as the floorboards squeaked from beneath her feet, turning a nervous glance towards Robin to see if she had awoken her friend. Robin had stirred a little at the intruding sound, going back to sleep right after. The girl breathed a quiet, relieved sigh at this, proceeding to saunter off to the upper deck of the Thousand Sunny after closing the door gently behind her.

Back in the girls' quarters, a pair of azure blue eyes snapped open to scan the room briefly. Just as she had expected, Nami was gone. All she could do now was to lie in wait for the moment the girl required her support. Nico Robin knew better than to interfere; she knew her _nakama; _her precious little sister, needed some time alone to sort things out.

Nami was silent as she leaned against the polished wooden railings of their ship, resting her chin in the palm of her hand as she gazed absently at the dark seas lying ahead. She heaved a heavy frustrated sigh as her overworked brain throbbed piercingly as a symptom of an upcoming migraine, her mind still remaining in a tangled mess due to the disturbing news she had received earlier that afternoon.

She bit her lip, both her knuckles white from the tight bunching of her fists as an image of the blonde ex-rebel she had only seen twice slammed into her mind.

"_Kohza."_

The very thought of _her_ princess being in a relationship with this man was enough to make Nami feel sick at the very pit of her stomach.

_How could this have happened?  
><em>

_**Rumours spreading 'bout this other guy**_

_(flashback)_

"EHHHH?"

Usopp's cries echoed across the Grand Line that afternoon as the nine of them relaxed on the lawn deck to enjoy the cool sea breeze. Nami, who was playing a board game with the ship's archaeologist, lifted her head in surprise at his sudden outburst. Most of the crewmembers ignored him though; Usopp screaming as if they were a few seconds away from crashing into a Sea King wasn't a new reason to be panicked about after all; all of them were familiar to how the young sniper tends to overreact in these sorts of situations.

"What's wrong, Usopp?" their ever-concerned captain was the first to speak, pausing in his little pirate game with Chopper at that moment to look over to his friend.

Usopp's hands were shaking as he held onto the newspaper he had bought from the seagulls that deliver daily news. His perturbed gaze seemed to land on Nami occasionally, his mouth opening and closing in contemplation of whether or not to break the alarming news to his _nakama_.

His odd actions only succeeded in piquing the navigator's curiosity. "What's in the newspaper, Usopp-_kun_?" she asked in interest, standing up to approach the younger boy.

"Uh… That is… um…" the poor sniper was struggling for substantial words, making a last futile attempt to hide the newspaper behind his back.

"Give me that," she snapped out of impatience, nabbing the papers from him deftly being the skilled cat thief she was. Usopp gulped audibly as the navigator scanned through the headlines quickly, noticing that the irritation written on her face just then had now transformed into one of utter disbelief.

All her senses went numb due to the unforeseen shock she received upon reading those few lines, the only thing her brain was able to register being the freshly inked words dancing dauntingly on the cheap sheet of vellum. Nami froze completely, however not possessing enough willpower to prevent her amber brown orbs from skimming restlessly over the headlines again and again, praying from the very depths of her heart that her eyes were deceiving her; that this was a cruel figment of her imagination; _a lie_; that this was some sort of mistake.

There _has_ to be a mistake.

Luffy blinked at the sudden silence of his navigator, opting to wave his hand in front of her face innocently to see if he would get a reaction.

There was none.

"_Ne_ Usopp! What did you do to Nami?" he asked his friend quite seriously.

"It wasn't _me_, it was _it_!" Usopp retorted, pointing at the lifeless culprit accusingly.

"What did it say?" Sanji asked, eyeing his Nami-_swan_ worriedly.

Usopp swallowed, and spoke.

"_Vivi is engaged."  
><em>

_**Do you do what you did when you did with me**_

"EHHHHHHHHHHHHH?"

This time, the entire crew reacted similarly to Usopp.

Luffy reached out and grabbed the newspapers out of Nami's limp hands, proceeding to read it along with the rest of his crew crowded behind him. (They were so surprised with the news that they didn't even bother to be shocked at Luffy's sudden interest to **read**)

"Haha! Isn't this great? Now Vivi can come along with us while this Kohza guy takes care of Alabasta!" the young captain grinned obliviously.

"YOU IDIOT!" Usopp and Chopper clobbered the back of his head simultaneously.

"Don't believe the papers so easily, Nami. This might be one of those staged marriages the royalty are rumoured to have," Franky said positively. He recalled what Usopp had told him about the princess, understanding completely the pain Nami dealt with when forced to leave a loved one behind. "Franky's right. It could be a hoax," Zoro maintained his stoic expression as crossed his arms, but everyone of the Straw Hats could see the worry surfacing in the very depths of his jade green eyes as he spoke.

Nami finally regained her focus upon hearing her name, forcing a strained smile onto her lips as her eyes flickered over to her _nakama's_ worried faces. She knew that the whole crew knew of their bond, making it all the more reason she did not want them to worry.

"I'm fine. Something like this ought to happen, anyway. After all, she _is_ the princess of Alabasta," she said cheerily.

"Ah! I know! Nami's upset because we can't attend her wedding!" Luffy wailed. "_I'm_ upset too; I miss the Alabastian meat that female Igaram can cook," the captain recovered from the previous assault quickly, drooling as thought-bubbles of meat appeared above his head.

"YOU IDIOT!" Sanji joined in bashing the poor impervious captain this time. He had just prepared that dish yesterday and his captain was whining over wanting it again already.

"Don't worry, Nami-_swan_, Robin-_chwan_. I'll bring Luffy into the dining room now for lunch," Sanji nodded courteously as usual whenever speaking with the two ladies, knowing that his beloved navigator needed some time alone. "Oi! The rest of you shitheads! Help me prepare lunch!" his expression took a drastic change of 180 degrees, much to Robin's amusement.

The older woman allowed her quiet gaze to linger on the navigator for a couple more seconds, rummaging her brain in hopes to obtain a suitable approach to handle the delicate situation. Deciding to first break the awkward silence hanging thickly in the air, the woman stood from her previous position on one of the deckchairs. "I do not know much about this Vivi, but I can tell that you both meant a lot to each other based on the stories Chopper told me of the times before I joined the crew. Upon hearing those adventures, I highly doubt that marriage would even cross the girl's mind. Everything may not be as it seems to be," Nico Robin said slowly, careful of the words she chose to say due to the sensitivity of the issue.

Nami sniffed at her reassuring words, the smile she had on earlier vanishing instantaneously as soon as she met the concerned blue eyes of her friend. "R-Robin…" her voice surfaced as a mere whimper, streams of tears blurring her vision as they rolled down her cheeks. Robin took this as her cue to comfort the girl, striding over to her to envelope her in a motherly hug. Robin stroked her soft orange locks soothingly as the latter sobbed continuously into the older woman's shirt, cutting off any further exchange of words.

_**Does he love you the way I can**_

"Perhaps Franky was right and this entire thing was staged?" Robin voiced her opinion once the navigator had calmed down considerably.

"I tried convincing myself that. I really did," Nami sighed, her amber brown eyes scanning the princess's face on the papers for the millionth time that day. A bright beaming smile was painted over her beautiful features as she latched onto Kohza's arm, the both of them looking sickeningly suited for one another as they posed for the camera.

A tender smile made its way across Nami's lips as her gaze continued to linger upon the younger girl, a strange but warm feeling that felt almost nostalgic enveloping her entire being at the sight of the too-familiar smile.

"That's a real smile you have on your face," she whispered under her breath.

"It's beautiful. It's different from the fake ones you used to put on whenever you were trying to hide your worries from us. So does this mean that this man… He makes you happy?"

_(flashback end)  
><em>

_**Did you forget all the plans that you made with me**_

She traced the black 'X' marking her left arm affectionately as her lips twisted upwards to form a shaky smile despite the tears staining her face, recalling the final vow they had made with the young princess before leaving Alabasta.

"_From now on, no matter what happens, this symbol on our left arm shall forever be the sign of our friendship!"_

_**Because baby I didn't…  
><strong>_

_**That should be me holding your hand**_

_(flashbacks)_

According to the navigator, tomorrow would finally be the day the crew arrives at Alabasta, completing their mission as well as fulfilling the promise she had made to the princess back in Whiskey Peak.

Back in the girls' quarters, said navigator awoken from her sleep groggily, rubbing her tired eyes. She blinked multiple times for her eyes to gradually attune to the blackness of the still night, grumbling incoherently to herself upon realising that she had indeed awoken a few hours too early. She sat up slowly, yawning as she did a cat-like stretch to relieve her aching muscles caused by the hardness of the cold wooden floorboards she was sleeping on. As if on cue, she turned her head instinctively towards her bed in which she insisted the princess used while she was on board, opting to take a quick check on her.

The bed was empty.

Nami blinked, and stood. What could she be doing this late at night?

She found the princess standing against the timber-made railings of the Going Merry, lost in thought as she gazed absently at the endless stretch of sea.

"Vivi?"

"N-Nami-_san_!" the bluenette was obviously startled as she stumbled on her friend's name. It was adorable, Nami had to admit as she chuckled. Vivi recovered from the surprise of her sudden appearance quickly, suppressing a light giggle as she took in the strangely comforting sight of the disorientated-looking navigator who had obviously just awoken; seeing that she had graced her presence with messy but unmistakably cute bed hair. Nami grinned back sheepishly, leaning her frame against the railings to accompany the princess.

"So, why are you still up at a time like this?" she asked, unable to stifle back a tired yawn due to the lack of sleep.

Vivi noticed the weariness of her tone immediately. She knew by observation that Nami's position as the ship's navigator involved strenuous tasks. The last thing she wanted to do was to add to her workload by troubling her with unnecessary problems. Besides, she had done so much more than she can ever hope to ask for already. "I don't want to bother you with my trivial problems, Nami-_san_. You _must_ get more rest, you look awfully tired," her gentle voice was laced with concern as she faced the navigator, noting the dark rings below the latter's eyes.

She was replied with a little flick on the forehead, causing her to wince slightly at the stinging sensation.

"Idiot. What did I say about you treating us like strangers? Aren't we your _nakama_?" she smirked at her reaction as the 16-year-old's eyes soften a little at the mention of the word '_nakama'_.

"S-sorry…"

She had lost count on the number of times Nami had drilled this word into her brain throughout their journey together. The navigator had made it painfully clear to the princess that she had disliked her belief of willingly risking only her life for the sake of others by constantly lecturing her whenever she made any implications of the sort. Sometimes, the thief took her lectures further by giving her light taps on the foreheads in order to keep her words in mind. Nevertheless, it made her realise that the Straw Hat crew was more than willing to sacrifice their lives for her as how she would sacrifice hers for her country. This friendship – an unadulterated, unconditional, easy-going friendship – touched Vivi to the core, at how willing they were to include others into their little circle of _nakama_-ship, and at how much they were willing to sacrifice for her sake. Sometimes it made her feel bad, for she knew that there was nothing in the world she could do to return the kindness they have extended to her in her time of need.

_True friends are those who stand beside you at your time of need._

"If you're really sorry, do us a favour and let us into that over-worrying head of yours. Let us share some of that burden," the princess nodded meekly at this, a tint of blush spreading slowly across her ivory-coloured cheeks in response to her sincere words. Never before in her life had she met someone who cared so much for her in such a short time.

Their eyes met for a couple of seconds before the shyer of the two averted her gaze in embarrassment, coughing vaguely to hide it.

"…"

Nami kept her silence as she took in what she had just seen, noting the fear and uncertainty written clearly in her olive green orbs for the obstacles they were ultimately going to face the next morning. She saw the consequences of failure, the horror, the anger, the despair, the anguish and the shadowy, black _pain _of what could happen; and she couldn't help but to want to wrap her arms around the princess to lift this heavy burden off her chest. She didn't reprimand her from feeling this way. She had every right to let doubt into her mind.

"_It'll be fine." _

Nami turned towards the sea with a confident smile painted across her features, averting the younger girl's look of surprise at her sudden move. Her words were fierce and passionate and they spoke of promises and certainty in which even hope lacked. They would see to Crocodile's defeat. _Luffy _would make sure of it. _Everyone_ in this ship would make sure of it.

Vivi couldn't help but to allow a shy smile to cross her lips, feeling as if a heavy load has lifted off her chest at those simple words.

And they stood side by side like that the entire night, both their hands entwined perfectly like they were made for each other.

Perhaps they really were.

_**That should be me making you laugh**_

"Monkey D. Luffy!"

The young man with a straw hat adorning his head gulped audibly at this, not liking the tone of her voice one bit. He knew based on unpleasant experiences that Nami could be _very_ scary when she got mad.

"Luffy, come here for a second," he froze in his footsteps upon hearing her voice quite near to him, knowing that nothing, and he meant _nothing_ escapes the wrath of their navigator. "Yes, Nami?" he asked, not really knowing why Nami was so mad anyway.

"What do I like the most, Luffy?" she asked in a syrupy sweet voice, causing the young captain to arch his eyebrow in surprise at the sudden change of topic. Wasn't she mad just a few seconds ago?

"Money and mikans!" he answered knowingly without hesitation.

Nefertari Vivi watched the scene in front of her unfold in amusement, wondering where this statement was going to lead.

"Exactly. So what did you do to my money, Luffy-_kun_?" he failed to notice a demonic aura radiating from her body which caused the rest of their shipmates to scurry away in fear, leaving him alone to fend for himself.

"I spent it on lots and lots of meat! It was delicious; sorry I didn't save you some-" he paused, noticing a sudden drastic change in her expression. "You spent my precious Beri on _MEAT_?" she roared loud enough to send his straw hat flying as the poor boy winced at the sheer loudness of her tone.

"Uwahhhh! Help me, guys! Nami's gonna kill meeeee," he cried as she chased him around the deck, the both of them yelling in succession.

"I can't believe my 5000 Beri is in your stomach!"

"Aaaaaa! I didn't mean it!"

"I'll even chase you down to the very depths of hell until you pay off your debt!"

"Scaryyyyy!"

Vivi couldn't help it. She laughed and laughed until tears burst from her eyes, her stomach aching with mirth at this hilarious scene. For the first time in a long while, she felt a sense of warmth from the liveliness she was infected with day by day, and slowly but surely, she felt the tension from her body ease away, leaking from her soul like extracted poison, and for a long moment since her childhood, Vivi felt at ease.

_**That should be me this is so sad**_

Nami sat atop of the wooden railings of Going Merry contently as she sipped on a glass of fresh orange juice, her mind at ease as she took in her comrades who were busying themselves with their daily tasks. Her amber brown orbs lingered longer than necessary on a girl with long blue hair, feeling peculiarly happy that she was around. It wasn't that she disliked her other _nakama_; but it seemed as though her heart had set aside a special corner just for the princess.

"So you have to walk like this if you're a princess?" Luffy balanced a few books on his head uncomfortably as he wobbled around the deck in a comical fashion, causing Vivi to giggle at the sight. She then blinked in confusion, having a strange feeling that somebody was observing her.

"Nami-_san_! Come join us!" she waved at her best friend cheerily.

"Nah, I'm good just sitting here," she grinned back, loving the genuine warmth Vivi's smile radiated with every single thing that made her happy.

She truly was their crew's sunshine.

_**That should be me, that should be me**_

As if on cue, their eyes met for the umpteenth time that day, resulting in a smug grin on one of them and shy blush on the other before they averted their gazes away from one another, each smiling at the realisation that the other was caught staring at her.

_**That should be me feeling your kiss**_

Nami frowned slightly, noticing that the Alabastian princess was strangely quiet that evening. The five boys had gone out to hunt for dinner in the vast desert, leaving the two girls in charge of the campsite.

"Are you feeling alright, Vivi? It's okay to feel excited, you know, since we _are_ going to take down Crocodile tomorrow," she tried to lighten the mood, sitting down beside the princess who was poking at the campfire absently with a dry twig she had found earlier.

"Nami-_san_, I-" she struggled for the right words to say, biting her bottom lip in agitation that she couldn't even form a coherent sentence in her current flustered state. The navigator seemed oblivious to the fact that her little crush was blushing furiously, she being too caught up by the strange new scenery of endless piles of sand to notice.

After a brief moment of silence, Nami cocked her head to the side as she observed her friend, wondering why she seemed so uneasy that night. Was it because of the dangers they would be facing tomorrow?

The princess seemed to have made up her mind as she took in a deep breath, turning her head to face the older girl. "Nami, thank you for everything you've done for me," a grateful, melancholic smile was etched onto her face as the tint of blush remained, deciding to proceed with her original plan before she could scare herself out of it.

"Hmm? What's with this all of a sudde-" she froze in midsentence as soon as soft warm lips barely grazed the surface of her cheek. Despite the lack of contact, it did not impede Nami's cheeks from heating up at once, her heart beginning to hammer rapidly against her chest as a response to the sudden gesture of affection. Vivi pulled away at once, her face now burning cherry red as she tried her best to avert the navigator's questioning gaze.

Nami had a goofy smile plastered onto her face as she caressed the very spot the princess had kissed slowly with her fingers before pinching herself to see if she was dreaming.

She wasn't.

"Hehe, looks like my little princess grew bolder during our voyage, _ne_?" she teased, chuckling as the said girl's face turned into a darker shade of red if possible. "To think that you were the one who kissed me first, instead of the other way around," she was beaming from ear to ear now; secretly feeling happy at the fact that she now knows that there was a chance that the princess wanted her as much as she wanted the princess.

Vivi finally gained enough courage to look at her, discreetly puzzling over her last sentence.

All thought was lost when long slender fingers tilted her chin upwards, making the latter's mystical amber eyes the only thing visible in her line of sight at that moment. Vivi allowed herself to get lost in the pools of brown, feeling a pleasant warmth envelope her being at the unyielding sincerity expressed clearly from her orbs. Nami smiled fondly at her shyness, proceeding to tug her face gently towards hers without breaking eye contact.

Vivi visibly panicked at this, but the firm grip the navigator had on her prevented her from pulling away from the close proximity they shared. Frightened olive eyes darted from the latter's eyes to her soft smooth lips, pausing for a second to wonder what Nami tasted like before blushing furiously for the third time that night.

"Shh, relax," yet again, the soft velvety voice of the navigator managed to ease her thoughts as a warm hand cupped against her cheek to urge her forward gently.

Nami's lips glazed across hers, gently at first, then insistent as she applied pressure against her lips. The bold navigator was the one who made the first move; proceeding to enter her tongue into the latter's mouth to acquire a clearer taste of the princess. The bluenette emitted a silent gasp at her forwardness, already feeling lightheaded as her partner's skilled tongue explored the crevices of her mouth. Vivi did not know how to kiss, but her mouth seemed to be moving in its own accord as it followed Nami's lead.

It was amazing how the navigator could summon up all these emotions from within her at once just by the simple act of affection. Vivi felt dizzy, numbed, yet so loved and cherished, she felt as if her heart was going to explode from pumping so incredibly fast with every emotion she felt.

She was just about to return the kiss when the sound of a snapped twig alerted the both of them, each pulling back hurriedly to check if they had been caught. Vivi realised that she was panting heavily as soon as they broke the kiss. Just how long was she kissing Nami to have this much oxygen drained out of her lungs?

She sneaked a glance at the navigator who was breathing raggedly as well, looking more than a little annoyed at the unforeseen interruption. "I thought that the boys were back," Vivi's quiet voice indicated her disappointment as well; or so Nami hoped, rekindling her spirit once again. "I know our crew. We're going to have a nice long night together, princess," she grinned cheekily, inching forward to reclaim her lips.

_**That should be me buying you gifts**_

"This is for you, Vivi! Happy _Nakama _Appreciation Day!" Nami grinned as she handed her princess a single orangey-shaded flower with five large round petals.

Vivi's olive green eyes lit up at once at the gift. "Thank you, Nami-_san_!"

Nami chuckled. "Glad you like it; it sure is difficult to find decent flowers here in Alabasta due to the scorching weather. I think this one was imported from another island," she ruffled her hair sheepishly.

"Liar. I've been down to the market. There were a lot of flowers on sale for this occasion, but you're too busy being the cheapskate you are to buy them," Zoro opened an eye, waking up from his afternoon slumber.

"Shut up, you bastard! Whose fault is it for owing me money?" she snapped at him.

"What? You crazy bitch, I paid you back already!" he yelled back.

"Yes, but you didn't pay me back insurance," she countered.

"Ugh, I shouldn't have opened my mouth," he groaned.

"Damned straight!" she shouted back at the swordsman, who went right back to sleep after deciding that the argument had worn him out again. "Seriously," she sighed, her gaze landing on the princess in surprise to see a small smile on her face.

"Thanks for choosing this particular one, Nami," she said softly, twirling the stem around gently.

"Hey, don't I get a flower?" Usopp asked sarcastically from a distance.

"What? It was no problem, Vi-_chan_," she ignored the boy completely, dismissing her thanks with a wave of her hand.

She had actually picked out a fairly expensive one due to its unique amber golden colour, just because Vivi had once mentioned that it was her favourite colour.

Little did she know that it was her favourite colour because it was indeed the colour of the navigator's eyes.

_(flashbacks end)  
><em>

_**This is so wrong I can't go on**_

The navigator bit down on her lip so hard that it went completely numb, tears of grief streaming down her cheeks as her beloved princess came into mind. Her heart throbbed painfully against her chest with each passing moment every time an image of her beautiful face flashed across her mind. She tightened her fists, hoping that the physical pain in her arms could serve as a distraction from her breaking heart.

Because what she was going through now felt millions of times worse compared to physical pain.

'_**Til you believe that that should be me **_

Only _one_ person could make Vivi smile a smile so bright that it will put the Sun to shame.

Only _one_ person could make her forget all her troubles with a single touch of the hand.

Only _one_ person could break the outer stoic shell she had to maintain as someone of royal blood, prompting her to act as how a normal 16-year-old should.

Only _one_ person could make her genuinely happy.

"_**That should be me."**_

_**You said you needed a little time for my mistakes **_

Colourful decorations of all sorts adorned the stone-built stores and houses of Alabasta that evening, the entire kingdom in celebration of the greatest event that had ever took place, next to their freedom from Crocodile, of course. Even those who were once enemies behaved as though they were the best of friends on this auspicious day, each one of the villagers expressing nothing but joy. They danced and sang along the streets of Yuba; men whistling while children imitated the sound of wedding bells.

Their beloved Princess Nefertari Vivi was now engaged, and that was all that mattered to them; all their previous worries and fear for the upcoming drought completely vanishing as men and women alike continued to gossip on the soon to be wedding.

Back in the palace, said princess was looking quite drained from all the smiling, nodding absently at her father's guests as they continued to compliment on how suited she and Kohza were for one another. Each comment brought a strained smile to her lips, her bunched fists hidden under the silky folds of the tablecloth that adorned the long dining table she was sitting at.

From beside her, the young blonde man named Kohza could only smile awkwardly, knowing how uncomfortable his best friend was based on her constant fidgeting. He coughed in order to gain himself attention, earning himself a look of surprise from the king himself.

Nefertari Cobra followed Kohza's blue eyes to land on his pale-looking daughter, nodding in understanding. "Ahem. Men, if you would follow me, I would love to show you how Kohza here bravely led my soldiers to victory here in this battle… May you excuse us for a moment, Vivi?" the King of Alabasta stood up abruptly.

Startled but nonetheless relieved, Vivi nodded hurriedly, waiting patiently for the highly ranked men and aristocrats to leave the room. "Carue should be up in your room," Kohza told her gently before heading off to join her father. Vivi shot him a grateful smile, running up to her bedroom immediately as soon as they were out of sight. Just as Kohza had implied earlier, her trusty companion was indeed waiting for her, its beady black eyes holding a deep sympathy and sadness for its young mistress. It quacked softly, padding up to the princess as she locked the door.

"Oh, Carue…" streams of tears poured down her cheeks as she stifled back an agonizing whimper. Carue could only offer her a warm hug as it engulfed the princess in its large wings, feeling utterly helpless as the princess cried into its feathery down.

Announcing the _staged_ engagement was the worst mistake she had ever made.

_**It's funny how you used that time to have me replaced**_

_(flashbacks)_

The young princess made a mad dash to her room as soon as Igaram and her father left the hall, her previous cheerful expression vanishing to be replaced with one of anxiousness.

She locked the door behind her, proceeding to reread the papers in her hands.

Her heart seemed to have stopped as soon as she laid her eyes on her favourite Straw Hat crewmember who seemed oblivious that her entire crew's picture had been secretly taken, speaking to Luffy cheerfully as they began to venture into a deep forest ahead.

That wasn't the part that made Vivi's grip around the newspaper tighten subconsciously, effectively crumpling up the sheets of paper.

She continued to stare at the page numbly, her head puzzling over the fact that Nico Robin had her arm draped around _her_ navigator's shoulders.

_**Did you think that I wouldn't see you out at the movies**_

The princess found it extremely difficult to concentrate on her duties that evening. Her head was still throbbing painfully at _that_ possibility. That small possibility, no matter how trifling it was, was still nagging at the princess even hours after reading that article. Was it possible that Nico Robin and Nami could emerge to become more than just friends in the future?

That thought scared her.

The very thought of losing Nami to someone else was crushing.

After all, without her navigator guiding her throughout their gruelling journey together, she knew that she never could have made it this far.

_**What 'cha doin' to me**_

Her entire face blanched at the sight of the burning ship, wincing when the blazing light from the fire reflected her glassy green orbs that were on the verge of releasing streams of tears.

However, at that moment, her strong inner will seemed to be screaming at her tears to stop, forcing her to act as how a real princess should. The young princess of Alabasta frowned as her eyes continued to scan for Igaram's possible survival, detecting nothing but ashes and smoke.

_I must not cry! _

Her inner voice was already in tears as mourned over her best friend's sudden death. It was too much, _far_ too much for the princess to handle. Never in her life had she witness death in front of her eyes.

It was terrifying.

_No! As the future princess of Alabasta, you must stay strong for Igaram's sake!_

The battle between her emotions and her duties continued from within her mind as her eyes simply reflected the bright golden glows of the flames vacantly. She bit down on her bottom lip _hard_, her thoughts scattered as she silently experienced a panic attack.

Without Igaram around, she had no one else as support.

_She had lost._

Just when she was about to accept defeat; about to collapse onto the ground crying; about to lose all hope she _scarcely_ had in the first place, a strong pair of arms engulfed her entire being protectively, embracing her in a warm reassuring hug. Before she could react to this, the stranger's hand forced her head down onto her shoulder, allowing her to cry unseen to the others.

Instead of removing her hand, the navigator proceeded to stroke her hair gently, her other arm firmly around her waist.

"Don't worry. We will take you to Alabasta safely!"

She promised this with solid determination and confidence, her voice strong and unwavering.

Vivi was caught completely off guard, her eyes tearing up immediately at her selfless words. Strangely enough, she felt perfectly safe in her arms despite the fact that they were once enemies.

It was from that very moment that Vivi slowly but certainly began to fall in love.

_**You're takin' her where we used to go**_

The only sound one could hear was the rustling of papers in the huge library of Alabasta, the country's princess being occupied with the morning paper.

She always felt a dull aching in her chest whenever a photograph of the navigator came up, memories and nostalgia flooding her system for a brief moment upon seeing that face she knew so well. She had long ago accepted Robin as one of their new _nakama_ with no hard feelings, but then again, she couldn't help but to long joining their crew just once more.

Once more was enough.

_**Now if you're tryin' to break my heart**_

Nami was a woman no individual would be foolish enough to want to go up against. She was a headstrong, independent woman who had to withstand the tortures of the man who murdered her beloved mother. And she _did_ withstand it _alone_, for eight long years, her only childhood memories being the same cruel face laughing at the death of her mother, _again and again_, playing in her mind like a broken tape recorder.

Nami never cried once.

Not even when Arlong locked her up in her room, forcing her to draw maps with minimal food and water.

Not even when the villagers she had grew up with and learned to love would not even spare her a second glance as she walked by the streets.

The times she had cried in her lifetime could be counted with a single hand. She hated to cry, because during the one time she did, she lost warmth, security, hopes, joy, _love_. A part of her died along with her mother the moment she was brutally murdered in front of her eyes.

But then came Luffy, who saved her, _freed_ her from the anguish and guilt she had been bottling up for all her life; refusing to let herself heal, refusing to let even her own sister share some of the burden she had to deal with for the past eight years. _It was her battle, not theirs,_ she reasoned. She can't afford to lose anyone else in her life. Arlong wanted her, and if she played her cards right, that was all she had to lose. It was worth it. She need not cry any longer.

This was an exception; she thought as she cried, watching as Luffy and the rest of her _nakama_ stood up to fight for her freedom. They fought for her, not out of sympathy, neither was it out of pity. They fought because they wanted her dreams to be realised together with their own. Nami cried that day, finally feeling as if a small fragment of what she used to be recuperated deep within her soul as a first step to mend her broken heart.

Nami never cried after that, she had no need to, or so her _nakamas'_ think.

Unbeknownst to the other Straw Hat pirates, Nami had cried once more.

On the very night they left Alabasta, the navigator had her arms wrapped around her knees as she sobbed silently on her bed, pained by the emptiness she felt without the familiar warm presence by her side. It was different this time, however; Nami knew that Vivi wasn't really gone. She still had a chance to return to her one day. She'll survive till then.

No matter what it takes, she'll survive.

_**It's working 'cause you know that  
><strong>_

_**That should be me holding your hand**_

Vivi knew that something was wrong with the navigator that evening. Nami had excused herself from dinner earlier than usual, heading straight to their quarters without letting the others know the reason for her lost of appetite.

The young princess headed to their quarters right after dinner and peeked into the room silently. She wasn't surprised to hear quiet sobs echoing from a crouching figure at the edge of the room, a picture frame in her hand.

She walked in silently, and sat beside her. She said nothing, because that wasn't what the navigator needed.

All Nami wanted at that moment was comfort, and the princess could provide that.

She stayed by her side, her hand entwined around the navigator's without a word.

_**That should be me making you laugh**_

"Vivi, you're horrible at this!" Nami burst out laughing as the princess pouted from beside her.

"But it's difficult, Nami-_san_!" she whined in defense.

"Okay, okay. I'll give you another shot. Try insulting Usopp," she beckoned to the clueless sniper who was busy in his little workshop.

"Right," she put on a serious face that Nami found adorable, racking her brain for an insult.

"Usopp-_kun_! Y-You have a very long nose!" she shouted at the boy from across the deck.

"I knew that the moment I looked myself in the mirror, Vivi, you didn't have to point it out," the sniper barely looked up, continuing with his work.

"Hahahahahaha!" Nami clutched at her stomach, laughing loudly at her friend's inability to irritate their _nakama_ only to earn herself another pout from the younger girl.

"This is the first time I've seen somebody who can't even come up with a single insult!" she said between laughs, tears spilling from her eyes.

A small smile escaped the princess's lips as she took in the scene, deciding that she loved the sound of Nami's laughter, not minding one bit that it was at her expense.

_**That should be me this is so sad**_

Olive green eyes scanned the deck in puzzlement, finding the situation she was in to be very odd. The entire crew seemed too relaxed even though they were sailing in the terrifying Grand Line itself!

Luffy was playing a game with Usopp while Zoro was sleeping as usual. Sanji was busy in the kitchen, probably preparing snacks for the ladies.

At that moment, Nami walked out of the kitchen holding two glasses of orange juice.

"Is this good? Aren't they a little too carefree?" she questioned the navigator given that she was the sanest one on deck at that time after thanking her for the drink.

Nami merely shrugged at her query, taking another sip of her orange juice in content. "Yeah. But doesn't that make you feel as though you have nothing to worry about?" she grinned, joining her in watching their captain's little game.

She seemed taken-aback by her answer, sipping on her drink slowly to contemplate her logic.

"You're right. I haven't felt this… carefree in a long time," she visibly relaxed, giggling slightly at Luffy's childish antics.

Nami simply smiled at this, her quiet smile having a hidden meaning to it as she watched the girl lighten up evidently at her words, a bright happy glow emanating from her as she did so.

"Me too, Vivi. Me too."

_**That should be me, that should be me **_

"I'm terribly sorry, but we cannot afford to pay the 100 million Beri we owe you in Alabasta's current postwar state," Igaram bowed in apology to the navigator.

Vivi panicked slightly at the navigator's silence, not sure of how she would react to this piece of news.

"Consider it paid off. The princess had paid off her debt by paying _special_ attention to me during our voyage," she winked at the girl who in turn reddened at her suggestive tone.

"WHAT?" Igaram's jaw slacked at once, over thinking the hidden meaning of her statement as he demanded answers from the flustered-looking princess.

"Medical attention! She meant _medical_ attention!" she abashedly replied, watching the navigator skip away happily from the corner of her eye.

_**That should be me feeling your kiss**_

"Hey guys! What are you doing?"

Vivi wasn't very sure which fact roused her irritation more; the fact that the boys were peeking at them over the wall of the bathhouse, or the fact that most of them were throwing sultry looks at the slender body the navigator possessed.

The young princess had to agree that her girlfriend did in fact have a magnificent body seeing that she even looked good in a _towel_; said object was hugging her curves in all the right places at the moment.

She simply watched as the Nami stood up to face the boys, a look of obvious annoyance etched on the princess's face as all eyes followed the movements of the navigator. She couldn't help but to feel a flicker of jealousy. _Nobody_ was allowed to look at Nami that way.

Yes, Vivi was very, _very_ possessive.

In fact, she was just about to march up to punch the perverted look Sanji had off his face when Nami began to speak.

"Alright, it's 100 000 Beri each, guys," she announced with a carefree drawl, earning a look of confusion from everyone.

"Happiness punch!" she flashed them her upper part of her body; much to everyone's shock and (perverted) delight.

"NAMI-_SAN_!" Vivi's jaw dropped, her cheeks darkening in five different shades of red as all the boys collapsed onto the ground after blood spewed out of their noses, completely defeated.

Nami simply threw her a playful grin.

Vivi bit her lip, forcing her thoughts to focus jealously at the fact that the boys were able to get a glimpse of Nami's breasts instead of directly thinking about them.

Because, hell, she was definitely going to get a nosebleed as well if she did, even though her back was against her! God knows what sort of reaction she would give if she really were to see them… She'll probably faint quicker than the boys.

"Hmm? Your cheeks are flushed, Vi-_chan_," the navigator said in artificially constructed concern, looking as though nothing happened.

"I-I-It's just the heat," she feigned innocence, too busy trying to sort out her thoughts to notice that the navigator was shooting her sultry looks herself.

"Oh? So it wasn't because of what I think it is?" Vivi flushed even more if possible at how remarkably close she was to her.

When did she sneak up to her?

Nami chuckled at her innocence, raising her eyebrow in amusement as the girl slowly edged away from her, hoping to go unnoticed.

"Did my little show bother you that much?" she flirted expertly, earning a fervent shake of the head to prove her wrong.

"Why did you do that?" her voice cracked slightly in pain, feeling her back against the hard wall. Nami paused at the sudden change of tone, searching her girlfriend's olive green orbs for an answer. Only then was she aware of the little spark of jealousy dancing in her pupils, her face falling immediately at the sight. "Why do you think I did?" she questioned as her cocky smile vanished to be replaced by one of her genuine, quiet smiles. Vivi simply shrugged, all thought of careful calculations to maneuver away from the girl gone at the sight of that beautiful smile.

All of a sudden, Nami placed both her palms against the wall between the latter's head, succeeding in trapping the poor flustered girl. Vivi snapped back into focus at once, instinctively trying to push herself backwards. She gulped audibly as the devious girl inched even closer, their faces now only inches apart. Vivi braved herself to look up at the navigator despite the heavy hammering against her chest. Nami's usual light amber orbs have darkened considerably in lust and want, her body automatically closing the distance she had with the girl.

Vivi visibly panicked at this, this being the first time someone had engaged in such intimate contact with her. Nami's intensifying gaze and the fact that her body was practically pressing against hers was far too much for the young inexperienced woman to handle at that moment. As a result, she did the only thing she did know how to do. Squeezing her eyes shut, she raised both her arms and gave the navigator a light push enough to make her stumble backwards in astonishment; the bluenette heaving a little sigh of relief to get away from that awkward situation.

To her surprise, however, a light smirk painted over the latter's features. "Dear me, I didn't expect you to be so _forward_," she teased as the younger girl's eyes widened in realization, her ears burning in embarrassment.

"N-Nami! I-I didn't do it on purpose, I swear-" she rambled in alarm as she tried her best to avoid her gaze from landing onto the latter's torso, earning her a point from Nami for cuteness.

"Relax, I didn't mind," she chuckled, already anticipating her reaction.

"_Nami!"_

Nami played her cards extremely well that afternoon, knowing just which button to push to get her girlfriend all hot and bothered at the simplest things. It was quite amusing actually, seeing how innocent that 16-year-old was.

"Okay, okay, I'll stop teasing," she raised up her hands in mock surrender, smiling a secret smile at the fact that the jealous spark in her eyes was now long gone.

"Truth is, I was jealous," this earned another look of surprise from the bluenette, who opened her mouth to speak but was cut off by the wave of her hand. "I didn't like the way those guys were staring at you. That was the only way I could get rid of them," she grinned, cornering her once again.

Vivi did not push her away this time, olive green eyes softening at her words upon knowing the truth of her actions. "I'm sorry if I hurt you by accident," she mumbled ruefully, giving the princess a little peck on the cheek as an apology.

The Alabastian princess felt lightheaded after that, wondering which God she had pleased to have gotten herself such an amazing girlfriend.

"But you have to admit, that _was _kinda hot," she chuckled.

…Then again, nobody was made perfect.

Then it hit her. She saw her magnificently blessed girlfriend flashing her body to an audience, the memory of the incident flooding back into her head.

Nami watched in alarm as her girlfriend froze suddenly, her poor innocent soul completely helpless against the temptations evoked by the cheeky navigator. She started shaking her to and fro in hopes to snap her out of her daze.

"Vivi! Hey, Vivi!"

_**That should be me buying you gifts **_

With a large satisfied grin plastered across her face, Vivi examined the merchandise sitting on her bed, all ready to be wrapped up and presented to each of the Straw Hat pirates as tokens of appreciation for all they had done to help her restore peace in her country.

Plenty of meat for Luffy-_kun_.

A gallon of _sake_ for Mr. Bushido.

An Alabasta gourmet cookbook for Sanji-_san_.

A medical book for Tony-_kun_.

A new fishing pole for Usopp-_kun_.

And for Nami-_san_, a… a…

"Ehhhhhh?" she covered her mouth in shock in realisation that she had yet to buy the navigator a gift.

"I _must_ get something for Nami-_san_! But what does she like? She once mentioned that she only liked money and mikans…" she mumbled to herself, pacing up and down her room in distress at her forgetfulness.

A pair of mischievous amber brown eyes peeked into the room from the little crack at the door, silently noting that the princess seemed to be preoccupied with her thoughts at that moment. Quietly, she snuck into the room, her gaze landing onto the items on the bed in slight curiosity. She could always ask about it later. Scaring Vivi was her main goal now.

"Got 'cha!" a sly grin made its way to the navigator's face as she wrapped her arms around the small frame of the princess's waist from behind, mentally congratulating herself when the younger girl squealed in surprise.

"N-Nami! You scared me!" Vivi stammered, a tint of blush painting her cheeks as her girlfriend closed into her comfortably, resting her chin upon her shoulder.

"What are those anyway?" she changed the topic, beckoning to the various items on her bed.

Vivi panicked, and after a few seconds of wild chases in her head, decided to come clean. Nothing escapes the watchful intuition of her navigator anyway. "Um, uh, those are gifts for Luffy-_kun_ and the rest of you. B-But I didn't know what to get you since I never got the chance to ask what else you liked besides money and mikans."

Nami released her grip around the girl, turning around to look at the presents in amusement.

"You gave me my present long ago, Vivi," Nami's trademark grin was on her face as the younger girl looked up at her in surprise. "Truth is, there's something I like way more than money and mikans," she grinned, flopping down onto the bed lazily with both her arms supporting the back of her head.

"Really?" the innocent princess asked in surprise, walking towards the navigator as she beckoned her to do so. "Yeah," she sat up from her lying position, patting the space next to her as a signal for the princess to sit beside her.

"What is it, Na-" she was interrupted by a pair of hungry lips attacking hers, cutting off further exchange of words. Vivi swore that she could still feel the older girl's grin as she leaned into the kiss. She winced slightly as Nami managed to pin both her arms onto the bed, her body wedged between her legs as the devious girl straddled her teasingly.

"N-Nami?"

"You're my favourite something, of course, and since I _do_ own you, you don't have to get me a gift," she grinned, releasing her and getting off.

"Eh? N-Nami? That was dirty!" Vivi pouted.

"Hehe. I love you too, Vivi," she grinned, exiting the room with a beam on her face.

_**This is so wrong I can't go on**_

Vivi pulled at the hem of the tight material clothing her body uncomfortably. The lack of material the outfit had was making her feel self-conscious, especially with Nami around; she thought as she snuck a glance at the navigator. Nami, on the other hand, looked pleased as she did a little twirl to flaunt the beautiful dress to a drooling Sanji who now had heart shapes replacing his eyes. Vivi was too embarrassed with the indecent clothes the cook had picked out to even be jealous, fidgeting around nervously unbeknownst to all.

Little did she know that Nami had her eyes locked onto her, brown playful eyes taking in her slender figure appreciatively. Vivi was always one who would dress conservatively at any occasion, giving the starved navigator no chance of getting herself some eye candy from the princess. Until now, that is.

Oh yes, she was certainly going to enjoy this trip.

'_**Til you believe that that should be me.**_

It was strange, the way Nami looked at her sometimes.

Her amber brown eyes were fierce, overpowering; feeling as though they could read her every move. And sometimes, a mischievous spark danced inside her pupils to match her signature grin on her face.

And on rare occasions, she would look at the princess with such a smoldering look of want that she couldn't help but to blush and look away.

Nami's eyes were the windows to her soul. She was just that kind of person.

And strangely enough, every time she looked her in the eye, free of any expression, her cheeks would heat up, her heart pounding faster than normal by the simple lock of their eyes.

Yes, the navigator certainly had a strange effect on her.

The strangest thing was that the princess quite enjoyed it, occasionally looking the navigator's way in hope that their eyes would meet again.

_**I need to know should I fight for love for or disown **_

"_For Vivi, I want to fight with my own two hands."_

Deep brown eyes took her in with utmost surprise at her words. This was the first time the sniper had heard Nami speak with such a serious tone.

Nami, who hated getting into their crazy battles, was actually diving headfirst into one _willingly_?

Nami, who cared about nothing but money requested him to forge a weapon for her?

"Who are you?" he was tempted to ask, but he kept silent, focusing his thoughts on the reason she was trying so hard this time.

Could it be…?

"Mm. Of course," he nodded in reply, grinning as the navigator brightened up immediately.

"But of course, I would need some Beri to-"

"Yes, yes-" she cut in distractedly; glad to be given a shot in fighting alongside the princess.

"W-weapons don't come in cheap, you know," he tried again, hoping that the navigator could take his hint.

"I know, thank you Usopp-_kun_!" the door slam shut.

"Despite all that, she still is a selfish money-loving witch," he sighed, getting on with his work.

_**It's getting harder to shield this pain in my heart!**_

"_We're thinking of leaving here today."_

Her throat felt painfully dry as those words escaped her lips, skilfully hiding the ache in her chest by maintaining her calm composure when facing the princess.

Vivi was caught by complete shock, her expression changing immediately. Nami kept her usual smile on her face, noting the sadness written clearly in her princess's eyes. She wanted nothing more but to hold the younger girl in an embrace, but restrained herself from doing so. That would only make her want to change her mind.

"So soon?" her voice barely rose above a whisper as olive green orbs searched the navigator's amber ones in hopes to see a teasing glint in her eyes that indicated a lie.

"Yeah. We are." Vivi gulped audibly at her neutral reply, her heart sinking to the pit of her stomach.

"B-but," she tried to come up with a reason, _any_ reason, to make her stay just a little longer.

Nami could not bear to look into those pleading eyes any longer, biting her lower lip as she turned away from the princess.

"I tell you what. We'll give you 12 hours. If you decide to come travel with us again, that's the only time you can come aboard, just as our ship passes the East Coast," she suggested to the bewildered princess who only nodded meekly at her proposition.

Deep down, Nami knew that she wouldn't come along. She had a duty to perform in Alabasta after all. Vivi's determination in fulfilling her duties as a princess was the sole reason to why she and the crew invited her onboard in the first place.

Despite knowing that, she still wanted to create a tiny bit of hope that she just _might_ turn up at the dock on the fateful day, no matter how pointless it may seem to be. She just wanted to see her princess one last time before leaving her behind.

_**That should be me holding your hand**_

"Nami, this is Kohza. My precious childhood friend I've been telling you about."

Nami eyed the fairly well built blonde man inquisitively, pausing to return his acknowledging smile at the princess's introduction before continuing to scan him carefully once again.

So this was the man Vivi spoke so highly of.

He was also the man who she had decided to entrust in taking care of the princess after her absence.

Amber brown met sky blue, which met her fierce questioning gaze unflinchingly with a certain reassuring tenor reflected clearly in his eyes as he accepted her challenging regard. Vivi simply shifted her confused gaze from one friend to the other, completely oblivious to their silent battle as they stared each other down.

"Kohza, eh? I like you already," the navigator's lips curved upwards to form her signature grin, stretching out her hand to give the man a firm handshake. Vivi sighed inwardly in relief, glad that whatever it was just now was over. "Make sure you take good care of Vivi here, okay? She can be a handful most of the time," she smirked, resulting in a soft startled gasp from the princess. "I know. I already plan to," Kohza laughed alongside his new acquaintance before she could open her mouth to defend herself.

"Nami! Kohza! Wha- Why-" she was at a lost for words upon seeing that both her best friends were ganging up on her already.

Nami simply winked, resulting in a hurried huff as she turned away petulantly. It did not, however, succeed in hiding a light blush from tinting her cheeks. She chuckled at this, feeling more reassured than ever. Kohza looked capable of protecting the princess in her place. The man had certainly met her expectations.

However, there was one more thing she had to finalize to keep her position in check.

"Come on, Vivi. You promised to take me for a tour around your place," she laced her fingers around the latter's as she inched closer to her possessively while sneaking Kohza a sly glance. "O-oh! Yes, let's go then! See you later, Kohza-_kun_," the princess brightened up immediately, further securing the grip she had on the navigator's smooth fingers as she pulled her along the hallway, the two of them beginning to chat amiably as they made their leave.

Kohza couldn't help but to smirk as he watched them leave, Nami's hidden message ringing loud and clear in his ears. He wouldn't have it any other way. Seeing his childhood friend radiating such strong happiness he had never before witnessed was something he didn't want to end.

_**That should be me making you laugh**_

"Nami imitation! I really need to buy provisions for our next voyage but I'm just so tired after navigating the ship all night long! I wonder if there's a knight that can help me?" Luffy imitated in a sing-song voice while putting on his most adorable puppy pout face, causing his little audience to burst out laughing at the resemblance.

"It's meeeeeee, of course! Nami-_swan_!" he shifted his character to the love cook to result in larger peals of laughter from the trio watching him; namely Usopp, Chopper and Vivi. Little did they know that a scary evil witch was lurking behind a stack of crates fairly close to their little stage, watching their every move with a fearsome smile on her face.

"Shishishishi! You wanna hear how Nami sings in the shower? I heard it all the way from the dining room!" Luffy took a deep breath when a blow struck him out of nowhere.

"Attack! We're under _attack_!" Usopp panicked, running around in circles sounding his voice alarm as Luffy flew across the deck and rammed heavily into a pile of crates. "Kyaaaa! What sort of monster is able to knock Luffy out in a single blow?" Chopper clung onto Vivi's shoulder, the latter looking equally terrified.

All eyes then turned to the very pissed-looking navigator cloaked in malicious aura, amber brown eyes seeking her next victim on this God-forsaken vessel.

"UWAHHHHH!" Usopp's knees were wobbling as he ducked behind an equally scared-looking Luffy to save himself from her wrath.

"All of you are _**dead**_," the witch laughed coldly.

Seconds later, all four teenagers were lined up in front of her, bruised and mumbling apologies for their rude behaviour.

"Don't do that again," she huffed, arms crossed as she stared them down.

"Yes, Nami," their voices were laced with guilt as they replied in unison, sounding exactly like little children who have been caught playing a prank. In fact, they sounded so pathetic that Nami sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose as she shook her head.

"Actually, that was kinda funny. Can you show me one of Zoro?" she gave in to their pouting faces, chuckling a little as their faces brightened immediately at the suggestion.

"Let me try this one, Luffy!" Vivi volunteered amidst their excitement, earning a series of encouraging nods from the captain.

Vivi's face turned cold-stoned serious.

"Seppuku!"

Laughter echoed throughout the ship for the entire night as Merry sailed on gallantly, proud and strong and _happy_.

_**That should be me this is so sad**_

"EVERYBODY! PLEASE STOP!"

Nami could feel her eyes watering as she and her _nakama_ watched the young princess scream at the top of her lungs for the hundredth time that evening, begging the villagers and rebels to stop the war.

Crocodile was finally defeated!

So why?

_Why_ were they still fighting one another?

The navigator could feel the weight of a spear piercing agonizingly at her heart with each word that was hollered towards the sea of people littering the streets, her fists bunched up so tightly that her knuckles turned white in pure rage.

_Rage_ at those brainless idiots who ignored the princess' wishes, who dared make her scream until her voice was hoarse, who dared make her _cry _for what _they _had done.

Yes, Nami was furious.

But she felt angrier with herself. She hated herself for being so helpless at her lover's moment of need.

Wasn't there anything she could do?

She hated this. She hated just standing there, watching the princess slowly but surely wear out, hearing her scratchy voice so desperate, agitated and so heartbrokenly _haunted _that it terrified her.

Nefertari Vivi had a will far tougher than steel, a trait which made Nami admire and love her all the more. But this raw pain, this sheer anguish…

"_EVERYBODY! PLEASE STOP!"_

Zoro's hand was already on one of his three katanas', a grave expression painted over his features as he looked over to the crowd.

"Let me beat some sense into them-"

Nami stopped him, shaking her head gravely.

"I know how you feel, Zoro, but fighting will only make things worse. All we can do… All we can do now is to believe in her," her tone was strangely quiet as she spoke.

Zoro observed this change silently, lifting his hand from the katana in understanding. Nami refocused her gaze onto the princess who still seemed to be in a trance as she continued pleading the villagers to stop the war, a new solid belief set in her heart.

_I know you can do it._

As soon as the thought surfaced in her head, the skies roared mightily as if agreeing with her.

_A single raindrop landed gently onto her cheek.  
><em>

_**That should be me, that should be me, **_

"Vivi-_sama_! Vivi-_sama_!"

Seagulls in the Grand Line were known to work under the marines, assisting them in spreading the latest wanted posters to every island on the seas at a speed no ship could possibly achieve. The wanted posters alerted the people of the villains roaming the seas, their level of notoriousness judged by the bounty placed on their heads.

However, on a certain desert island located in the Grand Line, its citizens held a different conviction to some of these posters.

Almost everyone in the palace crowded around Nefertari Vivi as she slowly undid the coarse bundle of old strings holding the precious pieces of paper together, each of them awaiting the new posters in anticipation. The princess herself took a deep breath as she smoothened out the sheets of paper, olive green eyes lighting up at once to see many familiar faces.

Whispers and remarks echoed around her at once as her friends examined the Straw Hats' respective new bounties, each having their own opinion on the ridiculously large amounts of Beri placed upon their heads.

"Look, dad! Even Tony-_kun_ has a poster of his own!" she giggled as she picked up the ship doctor's wanted poster, waving it to her father merrily.

"Is that… _Sanji_?" Igaram's eyes bulged at the sight of the drawing of the poor cook, proceeding to squint at it with Carue as they hunted for possible similarities the poster had with the real cook.

Vivi did not really know why she felt so happy to see her _nakamas'_ posters; perhaps it was because it gave her a sort of confirmation that they were doing well on their journey. Nevertheless, she couldn't help but to worry even more for their safety, seeing that they were now acknowledged as traitors of the World Government.

"Vivi? I bet you haven't seen this one yet," Kohza smirked, startling the princess out of her thoughts as he handed her one of the many posters strewn on the long table.

"This is…" she trailed off, suddenly finding her throat to be extremely dry.

"_What was she thinking?" _

Those were the first thoughts that entered her mind being the conventional princess she was, eyes widened and mouth agape at the sight of the very alluring poster of the navigator posing seductively at the camera.

As if memorised, her body immediately took its cue and reacted to how she normally would at the presence of the orange-haired cat thief; her cheeks tinted pink at the sight of the less-than-decent photo of her. Her piercing amber eyes, flowing orange hair that framed her face beyond perfection, that curvy, slender body that shone in the sunlight… Before she could recollect her thoughts, a hand shot out to nab the paper from her hands. Her gaze turned upwards to see a very smug-looking Kohza, who was waving the sheet of paper carelessly in the air.

"So, my dear friend, what is the bounty on her head?" he questioned, giving himself a mental pat on the back to see his childhood friend redden in realisation.

_Jackpot_.

"You were staring at that little sheet of paper for five whole minutes now and you still do not know how much Beri she is wanted for? I wonder what caught your attention so much that you even failed to notice the most crucial detail of a wanted poster," he teased, holding it high up in the air as she whined in protest, trying fruitlessly to grab it back from him.

"Hmm. I wonder how Nami would react if I tell her about this…"

"_Kohza!"_

_**That should be me feeling your kiss **_

A throbbing pain resonated in her head the moment she woke up, initiating a small groan from the orange-haired woman as she sat up from the comfortable bed beneath her.

"_Where am I?"_

She looked around the unfamiliar surroundings after rubbing her sleep-filled eyes, trying to recall what had caused her to black out the night before.

Only then did she notice that she wasn't the only one in the room. All the Straw Hats were lying haphazardly on the floor while snoring lightly, serving to guard the room while ensuring her wellbeing in the process. Her eyes then flickered to the top corner of her bed where another figure was slumped upon, her thick mass of blue hair covering her face as she slept soundly on.

A small gratified smile made its way across her lips as she took in the precious scene, her heart warming at the thought that her _nakama_ cared so deeply for her. Their presence alone made her feel completely safe. "They must've been up all night," her smile was kept in place as she continued to watch over them, basking in the rare moment of peace amongst her crewmates.

"They wouldn't leave the room even when I forced them to," a husky voice cut across the silence in the air, causing the girl to look up in surprise. An old woman was standing by the door with both her arms folded across her chest, deep brown eyes filled with infinite wisdom peering over at Nami, inspecting her. "You are?" the navigator questioned hesitantly, arching an eyebrow at her sudden appearance.

"I'm Dr. Kureha. Your friends brought you to my home for me to cure you," she replied, heading towards the bed to further check on her current condition. "I see," Nami visibly relaxed at that fact, landing her eyes on the princess once again. "I had to get my assistant, Chopper, to drag her out, you know. That troublesome girl, she wouldn't leave until I ensured your safety," her watchful gaze trailed over to Vivi. The said princess stirred in her sleep at the noise, blinking a few times as she adjusted her bleary eyes to the bright light. She noticed Nami at once, and was instantly awake.

"NAMI-_SAN_!"

The navigator visibly flinched as a pair of arms wrapped around her shoulders, tackling her onto the bed.

"You're awake! I was so worried! Y-you almost died from that poison! Thank God, thank Dr. Kureha…" she rambled on continuously, not even giving the amused woman underneath her a chance to speak.

"You're welcome, troublesome child," the bluenette froze as soon as she heard the familiar-sounding voice, causing her to instinctively release the choking navigator. "Eheh. Dr. Kureha-_san_, I didn't see you there-" she grinned sheepishly at the witchdoctor. "Sure you didn't, child. Everything else in this room is invisible except for that young miss, right?"

Vivi flushed slightly at this, currently at a loss for words.

"Well. It's a good thing I healed you, or we all might've had to deal with another night of constant whining and worrying from this one here. Hah! As if I'm unable to cure something as simple as this," the witchdoctor smirked before heading out of the room.

Vivi's jaw hit the ground.

"You did _what_ now?" Vivi braved herself to look at the navigator, already anticipating the chipper smile that would be on her face.

"I- it was just-" she spluttered incoherently as Nami arched an eyebrow, unendingly amused at her long list of endearing reactions.

"_Thank you, Vivi."_

_**That should be me buying you gifts **_

The rounded end of a single wooden match fizzled with bright sparks as it brushed against a course surface, providing light to the small oil lamp resting atop the study late one night. The ship navigator sat as close as possible to the lit lamp, flipping over the filled pages of the leather-coated logbook in her hands until she reached a fresh blank page.

Dipping a new quill into black ink, she started to write.

Nami is very observant. She _is_ the navigator after all, so it was only natural that she was accustomed in gathering as much information as she could of her surroundings. It also assisted in making accurate logbook entries; quite unlike the bizarre drawings Luffy produced to explain the adventure of the day. The young navigator chuckled at that memory, shaking her head as she paused to think.

It had only been a few weeks since they had departed from Whiskey Peak, but she could already see the subtle changes their new guest had gone through given the little time she had spent with them.

In the beginning when Vivi had first joined the crew, she was hesitant, guarded, curious and undoubtedly shocked at the Straw Hat Pirates' antics and behaviour at pursuing the tenacious and undoubtedly dangerous Grand Line. Nami couldn't blame her for that though. Some of Luffy's decisions still scared her sometimes, but she was getting used to it.

As the days passed by, Nami could see how she had evidently relaxed around them, slowly but surely discarding the stoic, serious safeguard built around her since her childhood days at the burden of being the future leader of an entire country.

Her smiles, forced and strained at first, became genuine, gentle, _happy_. Her olive green orbs that were once cold and guarded became brighter, trusting, confident. Not only that, but the princess seemed to be able to make everything seem more vibrant especially during their long dull trips without land. She just had that sunny vibe about her that made the people around her want to smile for no particular reason at all.

However, being the princess she was all her life, she still had this uncanny habit of referring to them with an additional polite honorific added to the back of their names. It may seem like a mental barrier against the crew by referring to them as mere acquaintances; a last defense the princess had to fend off the warmth she did not think she deserved. Well, intended or not, it did not change the way the crew perceived her. They accepted her for who she was; each of them having the similar intuition of knowing how genuine her aspirations were, each knowing how much she had willingly put on the line to accomplish her dream.

In spite of that, once in a while, the habit of using the honorific would just vanish. It was during those times that Nami knew all burden was lifted from her shoulders even if just for a brief moment; those few seconds shared with them being the moments Vivi was truly free.

And every time those treasured moments came, she could not help but to smile a secret smile as her amber brown orbs lingered on the princess seconds longer than usual, taking a mental picture of her being so comfortable.

Nami grinned as she shifted her gaze to the sleeping princess for a brief second before inking the quill once again, knowing exactly what to jot down into the logbook that night.

_Today, I realised that we were presented with a wonderful gift not too long ago…  
><em>

_**This is so wrong I can't go on**_

One cannot deny that there were unmistakably countless differences between Vivi and Nami.

Reserved versus outgoing.

Timid versus brazen.

Gentle versus ruthless.

Soft versus loud.

_The princess and the thief. _

It was true that throughout their voyage together, opinions had clashed, perspectives were challenged and convictions were ultimately tested between the two. Plus, the fact that both women were obstinate to their very core only theoretically proved to worsen the relationship between the two.

Despite all the traits they have that would only wager to endless debates and conflict, however, Nami and Vivi begged to differ.

Yes, they were extremely stubborn to their own viewpoints, but it was only because they both shared a similar notion.

They both cared deeply and unconditionally for their friends.

Their _nakama_.

_Their family._

With the other around to back the other up, each of their weaknesses turns into their greatest strengths. They become stronger, more determined and spirited. All to protect the personal treasure they both cherished with their hearts.

_Nakama_.

And because of this simple yet elementary factor, all the differences they had complimented one another perfectly just like how the land coexists with the sea.

And this mutual relationship shared between the two still exists to this very day.

'_**Til you believe that that should be me.  
><strong>_

_**Holding your hand**_

The both of them walked side by side along the sandy shore, Nami's hand intertwined with the latter's as they talked about everything and anything that came to mind.

"_**That should be me."  
><strong>_

_**Oh and making you laugh, oh baby,**_

Vivi had to cover her mouth with her hand to stop herself from laughing inappropriately; never had she witnessed such a bunch of people like them before in her life.

"_**That should be me."  
><strong>_

_**That should be me giving you flowers!**_

Vivi gasped in delighted surprise once the navigator removed her hands from her eyes to reveal a beautiful field filled with golden flowers that stretched as far as the eye could see.

"This little side trip I planned may delay our arrival to Alabasta by a few hours, but I really have to pay Zoro back for the last time he bitched at me for not getting you enough," Nami shrugged, her lips twisting upwards to form a smile as the younger girl tackled her to the ground, hugging her tightly, unable to comprehend the gratitude she felt at this gesture.

_**That should be me talking for hours**_

"And remember the time Usopp-_kun_ made Luffy a fishing pole?" Vivi whispered to Nami in the darkness. This was their daily ritual before going to bed.

The older girl, however, did not reply. Vivi leaned over the bed to check up on her, giggling slightly to see her already sound asleep.

"_**That should be me."  
><strong>_

_**Never should've let you go **_

"Nami?" the bluenette inquired carefully, aware of the distant forlorn expression on the other's face as she approached her that evening.

"Hey Vivi…" warm amber eyes flickered over to meet her contrasting green ones, making the younger girl's heart skip a beat as usual at her intensifying gaze.

"You're _not_ coming with us, aren't you?" she managed to pull off a strained smile before refocusing her gaze onto the calm oceans, missing the stunned look the other had on her face.

Vivi immediately contemplated to lie, opening her mouth to mention that she had yet to make up her mind; however deep down she knew that the navigator would be able to read off her lies anyway. Instead, she nodded.

"Yeah."

An audible gulp surged from Nami's throat at the simple yet astonishingly agonizing reply, amber eyes growing watery with each passing second.

"That's good. For a second there I thought you might've lost sight of your true dream of bringing up your country," she continued casually, making sure to avert her gaze as she spoke in order to keep her emotions at bay.

Both parties fell silent for a long moment after that, each not knowing exactly how to express their feelings for the other before their own separate paths and dreams forced them apart.

There were so many things that needed to be said, so why were the words so difficult to surface?

The awkward tense silence continued to accumulate thickly in the air before the young princess cleared her throat in an attempt to begin a conversation, desperate to rid of this new unfamiliar coldness she felt despite being so physically close to the one person she truly loved. She swallowed a huge lump already forming in her throat, starting to feel that she was already _losing_ her precious friend.

She was so close to her, and yet why did she feel so far away?

"Nami, you'll come back to Alabasta right? After Luffy becomes Pirate King? You'll have to show me all the maps you've drawn then and tell me all the adventures you've gone through! I-I know that this is a small country with nothing much to offer, but it will really mean a lot to me if-" an index finger was pushed gently onto her lips as an amused expression met her surprised gaze.

"Of course I'll come back. How can you even ask that?" her voice barely rose above a whisper, her expression morphing into one that bled tender sincerity and melancholy.

Vivi bit her lip as she scanned girlfriend's tear-stained face, unable to prevent the salty liquid from spilling from her olive green orbs as she broke down into a sob.

"C'me here." Reminiscence flooded her mind as strong warm arms enveloped her lithe body amorously, reminding Vivi of the first time Nami had held her this way back in Whiskey Peak. The Alabastian princess allowed herself to bask in the comfortable hold the navigator had on her, proceeding to wrap her arms around the navigator in a similar fashion.

"S-so I g-guess… This is the end?" her throat felt painfully dry whist those words were uttered shakily, fear and insecurity lacing her voice as she held her breath to mentally prepare herself for the heartbreaking answer. Vivi had expected a nod, or at least a feeble 'yes', taking it as an indication that their ties would be cut off from then onwards. Her grip tightened subconsciously around the soft silky material clothing the taller woman, bracing herself for the moment that never arrived.

Long slender fingers stroked her blue locks gently as the arm around her waist pulled her closer to the latter's torso, the bluenette's chin buried in the crook of her neck, their faces only hovering centimeters apart.

"This isn't the end, princess. It's a new beginning for the both of us. And I promise that at the end of _this _new chapter, I'll be right here standing next to you once again," she said this vow in a soft yet gentle reassuring tone, continuing to stroke her hair tenderly as the girl emitted a tiny whimper from beside her, unable to prevent tears from spilling from her eyes.

Vivi could not hold in her emotions in any longer, pouring out her relief, sorrow, anguish, pain and love for the navigator all at once as she sobbed in her arms. "N-Nami!" her voice had risen a few octaves due to her crying, the navigator's name being the only word she was capable of saying at that moment.

"I'll miss you too, Vivi. So much more than you'll ever know."

The princess and the thief lingered on the beach for the entire evening that day, relishing their final moments together, memorising every detail, because every one of those moments they had spent together would be the only memories they have of one another, until the day they finally meet again.

_(flashbacks end)  
><em>

_**I never should've let you go**_

Angry frustrated tears trickled onto the day's morning paper before she scrunched it up without thinking twice, tossing the crumpled parchment to the side. Nefertari Vivi pulled at her long blue locks in utmost exasperation at herself as she continued to cry, Carue's large wings offering her a silent comfort as he draped them around her protectively.

The staged marriage was the only solution her father could think of at the very last moment to rekindle the dying hopes of their people, seeing that the upcoming drought that was to attack the kingdom in a fortnight would bring nothing but negative effects on both their physical and mental wellbeing. The security of a new ruler after the retirement of King Nefertari Cobra would definitely push aside their apprehension for the soon-to-be crisis, giving Vivi and her board of advisors more time to overcome the damaging effects the drought brought upon them as the citizens prepared themselves for the wedding.

Although extremely hesitant at first, Vivi had sat aside to think over the pros and cons of the suggestion, finally deciding that it was her best option at the moment. The plan proved to be flawless, as her scouts have informed her that not a word of the drought had been spoken of for days and probably weeks to come.

However, Vivi had selfishly overlooked a factor.

_Nami_.

"What if she sees those papers, Carue?" she tearfully asked her loyal stead, her choked voice strained with guilt.

"How would she feel? S-She might think that I've forgotten about her!"

Carue only quacked in reply, a sympathetic frown etched across his face. He knew that the only reason his mistress was looking so happy in the photograph was because Nami was on her mind. In fact, all those little moments where Vivi seemed to be spacing out in the palace was undoubtedly because of the orange-haired loudmouth who seemed to have secured a permanent spot in the depths of her heart. Carue sighed, reminding Vivi of that afternoon in the desert where their friendship was put to the test.

_(flashback)_

"If you think that no one is going to die, aren't you just fooling yourself?" Luffy spoke the bitter truth loud and clear, each of them caught by shock as the normally gentle captain landed a heavy blow across the princess's cheek; _hoping_ that he could _at least_ beat some sense back into her.

"Shut up!" she barely flinched at the assault, knowing that what he had said was indeed true. However, even at this very moment, she was still too afraid to acknowledge that crucial fact. She knew that she was going up against Crocodile himself, one of the seven legendary _Shichibukai_. The lives of her soldiers would undoubtedly be lost in his hands. That was why she must take him down herself!

"Then why are _YOU_ risking your life?" she gulped audibly at this, feeling her resolve slowly crumbling as those words hit her hard like a bullet. Of course she'll risk her life; she'll risk it all for the sake of her beloved country's freedom! Besides, one single life was insignificant compared to the millions of lives on the line if the war were to take place.

"I have nothing else to risk!" she finally admitted angrily, tackling Luffy onto the ground to beat him up; she would do _anything_ to make him shut up, _anything_ to make him stop reminding her of her destiny.

Little did she know that the rest of the Straw Hats including the captain himself had knowing smiles on their faces; that being the exact answer they had wanted to hear from her. To her surprise, Luffy grabbed both her hands; hazel eyes boring into hers with such a deep sincerity and confidence that she paused in her actions, tears threatening to spill from her eyes.

"Then try risking our lives along with yours!" he yelled to the heavens as she bit back a sob, Nami already by her side as she sent her a smile that bore the same message her captain had delivered just then.

"**WE'RE YOUR **_**NAKAMA**_**!"**

Neither words nor actions could decipher how grateful, how _blessed_ she was to have these people as her _nakama_.

_(flashback end)_

Each of them had assisted her wholeheartedly in order for her to realise her dreams on that fateful day; _as her dreams had became theirs as well._

_They had risked everything for her to get to where she was today._

"You're right, Carue. All those sacrifices were made so that I was able to help my father rule the kingdom. I can't let them down now! And though it may hurt," she stopped, dismissing the pain she felt in her chest. "It's part of my duty," she finished curtly, finding it difficult to suppress a smile as the sweet memories she had with the navigator flashed across her mind.

Little did she know that thousands of miles across the ocean, her lover was doing the exactly the same.

_**Never should've let you go **_

The navigator's entire face was stained with tears as she cried into the older woman's chest, unable to rid of the aching pain that was throbbing agonizingly against her ribcage with every sob.

"I'm sorry for being so childish, Robin…" her teeth were clenched in attempt to talk properly without hiccupping tears every two seconds. "But it _hurts so much_!" she sobbed hysterically, clamping her hand over her mouth to reduce the volume of her cries. It was late. She didn't want to wake the crew from her grief.

Robin stood silent, rubbing her back gently to soothe her.

"I just… I love her so much, Robin. I can't let her go," she whimpered, tightening her clutch around the material clothing the archaeologist.

"Sometimes in life, if you really love someone, you have to let them go," she whispered, knowing that her words would probably crush the heartbroken navigator. However, what else could she offer? There was nothing they can do about the situation, and she wasn't one to hide the truth. It would come when it came and lying to her now would only make it all the more painful.

The silence went on for a few more minutes before the navigator took a deep breath, holding back further tears. "I'll try, Robin. I'll try, but it won't be easy."

Robin was right. She had to focus on her path for now, guiding her captain towards his goal of becoming the Pirate King. Only then, would she return to Alabasta to rightfully claim back her little princess.

That, she would definitely accomplish.

"_**That should be me."  
><strong>_

_-End-_

Congratulations! If you're reading this now, it means that you have managed to endure this freakishly long oneshot!

I edited this more than 10 times I'm sure; that's how much One Piece means to me :)

I _really_ hope that I've done these two some justice, so reviews will be very _very_ appreciated. I really worked hard on this, so some feedback would be nice. Thank you so much! :D

Constructive criticism is accepted but no flames please!

-BlackisnotEMO


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